Royals, Mariners split opening two games of senior hockey league final

Geoff Musseau photo - Port aux Basques Mariners’ Brett Robinson, left, tries to corral the loose puck in front of Corner Brook Royals goaltender Bradley Power and Royals defenceman Steven Day during Game 1 of the West Coast Senior Hockey League final at the Bruce II Sports Centre on Friday night. - Contributed

CORNER BROOK, N.L. —

The so-called home-ice advantage did nothing for either team in the West Coast Senior Hockey League final over the weekend.

The Corner Brook Royals defeated the Port aux Basques Mariners on Friday night at the Bruce II Sports Centre 6-5, before the Mariners took Game 2 at the Corner Brook Civic Centre 7-3 on Saturday night.

The Royals were supposed to host both weekend games, but the civic centre was in use for a provincial synchronized skating event on Friday.

On Saturday, Brett Robinson, Jasper Dicks and Scott Francis all put up two goals to power the Mariners to the victory.

Darren Dean also scored for the Mariners.

Matt Colbourne, David Budgell and Tyler Hunt replied in the losing cause.

Dicks opened the scoring 3:31 into the first period, from Robinson and Greg Edgar, before Hunt tied it up at 10:33. Ryan Hawco and Iain Pilgrim drew the assists.

The Mariners took the game over shortly thereafter, however, with Dean scoring, from Trent Johanson, at 12:13, before Francis struck at 13:02 to make it a 3-1 game. Luke Parsons and Drew Nadon picked up the helpers.

Robinson then closed out the period with a goal, from Dicks, at 18:04.

At the 10:11-mark of the second, Robinson buried another one, from Edgar, before the Royals got back on the board thanks to Budgell at 10:47. Josh Smith and Colbourne assisted on the play.

Francis made it 7-2 at 9:58 of the third, from Dicks and Robinson, then Colbourne scored an unassisted, shorthanded goal at 13:00, which was the Royals’ last gasp in the 7-3 defeat.

The third period also saw several misconduct penalties handed out, with Royals’ Hunt in the thick of it. Hunt was issued a game misconduct, a 10-minute misconduct, and a fighting major, to go along with minor penalties for instigating and cross-checking.

Mariners’ Edgar was hit with a 10-minute misconduct and a two-minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct. All of this occurred at 7:07 of the final frame.

On Friday in Port aux Basques, Colbourne (2), Kurt Etchegary, Smith, Alex Hillier and Hawco did the damage for the Royals in the 6-5 win.

Edgar (2), Dean, Robinson and Parsons provided the offence in the loss.

Royals’ Luke Pilgrim was assessed a game misconduct following a five-minute major for high sticking, while Adam Guy was charged two minutes for a hit to the head which also resulted in a 10-minute misconduct. Etchegary was issued a game misconduct following a major for fighting, on which he was also penalized for instigating.

The series resumes for Game 3 at 8 p.m. Friday night at the Corner Brook Civic Centre, before returning to Port aux Basques for Game 4 at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the Bruce II Sports Centre.